Record-Breaker Root: England Captain Overtakes Ricky Ponting To Set World Record In Test Cricket

Joe Root continued his record-breaking spree with a new milestone achieved at Lord’s on Saturday (August 29). The England Test captain surpassed former Australia captain Ricky Ponting, breaking the world record for the most runs scored in home Tests.

Root, playing his 89^th Test on home soil, now leads the charts with 7,591 runs. He needed just 13 to shatter Ponting’s record tally of 7,578 runs in homes Tests. The English skipper scored 24 in the second innings of the ongoing second Test against Pakistan.

While Root achieved the feat in 89 Test matches, Ponting had represented Australia in 92 matches at home.

Root came close to breaking Sachin Tendulkar’s record for most fifties in Test cricket, but Pakistan’s Mohammad Ali denied him that opportunity. Root and Tendulkar are currently tied on 68 Test half-centuries.

Root still has one more home Test to play for England this season, giving him another opportunity to move ahead of Tendulkar and claim the record for himself.

The 35-year-old has also endured a relatively quiet home season by his usual standards. He is yet to score a century for England across five Tests and three ODIs.

However, Root could still finish the season with a major milestone. He needs 72 runs in the third Test against Pakistan to become the first Englishman and only the sixth player in the world to complete 12,000 international runs on home soil.

Rain Delay’s England’s Push For Victory

Rain delayed England’s push for victory in the second Test against Pakistan at Lord’s on Saturday, with showers preventing play from starting on time on Day 3. More rain is forecast across northwest London, leaving England’s hopes of wrapping up the match temporarily on hold.

If conditions improve, England will resume its second innings at 81/3 with a commanding 261-run lead. Having won the first Test at Headingley by an innings, England needs a draw or win at Lord’s to secure the three-match series.